Flexible joint wrap

ABSTRACT

A flexible joint wrap includes a heat exchange bladder, which provides fluid circulation and compression to a joint. The joint wrap includes upper and lower sections for attachment above and below a joint. The bladder has an opening at a center section which provides flexibility of the bladder. The heat exchange bladder may be enclosed in a removable cover designed to conform to the shape of the bladder. The cover and bladder are formed with an opening in alignment with the joint to provide flexibility to the wrap. The cover may be formed of a fluid repellant inner lining to prevent fluid from the joint from soiling the bladder. The cover may further comprise a nylon loop outer surface to allow the upper and lower sections to be easily attached and adjusted.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/903,138, filed Oct. 12, 2010, entitled “FLEXIBLE JOINT WRAP”, whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/707,419, filedFeb. 13, 2007, entitled “FLEXIBLE JOINT WRAP”, now U.S. Pat. No.7,837,638, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specificationare herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if eachindividual publication or patent application was specifically andindividually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a joint wrap allowingflexible movement of the joint, such as a knee or elbow.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is common to apply cold and compression to a traumatized area of ahuman body to facilitate healing, and to prevent unwanted consequencesof the trauma. In fact, the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression andElevation) is now used by many in the field. For example, cold packingwith ice bags or the like traditionally are used to provide deep corecooling of a body part. In addition, elastic wraps are often applied toprovide compression. However, these traditional techniques areuncontrollable. For example, the temperature of an ice pack will changewhen the ice melts, and the application of elastic wraps and,consequently the pressure provided thereby, varies considerably--evenwhen the wrappers are experienced. Because of these and otherdifficulties, many have turned to more complicated arrangements whichinclude cooling units for maintaining a desired temperature through aheat exchanger. Some of these cooling units also provide compressivepressure. Active cooling arrangements for humans are used, orcontemplated for use, in physical therapy, pre-game conditioning, minorinjury care, and so forth.

Many control units also produce and supply an air or other gas pressureneeded to apply pressure to a body part and to press the heat exchangeliquid toward such body part. This air pressure is directed to anothercompliant bladder of the therapy component, which air pressure bladderoverlays the liquid bladder to press such liquid bladder against thebody part to be subjected to heat exchange, as well as apply compressionto the body part to reduce edema.

As can be seen, a commonly used external therapy component uses a pairof compliant bladders to contain fluids; that is, it preferably has botha compliant bladder for containing a circulating heat exchange liquidand a gas pressure bladder which overlays the liquid bladder forinhibiting edema and for pressing the liquid bladder against the bodypart to be subjected to heat exchange. One problem is that in manytherapy component configurations of this nature, the gas pressurebladder tends to “balloon” or, in other words, expand to a much greaterdegree than is desired. This unwanted expansion can be the cause ofseveral problems. For one, it can actually pull away from the body partsome or all of the conformal heat exchange bladder. For another, it canreduce its edema inhibition ability, as well as reduce the desiredeffect of pressing the heat exchange bladder into contact with the bodypart.

More recently, physicians often prescribe Continuous Passive Motion(CPM) exercise for a patient's knee following surgery. This ofteninvolves the use of an automated device to flex the knee back and forthfor up to several days to insure that the knee heals correctly followingsurgery.

However, the use of a CPM device following surgery often precludes theuse of a cooling and compression wrap, since the current wraps areunable to flex properly, while still providing sufficient compression.For example, as shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), a prior cooling wrapcomprises a wrap generally covering a top portion of a patient's kneearea, and affixed via Velcro™ fasteners or the like at positions aboveand below the knee. However, such a configuration lacks any flexibility,making it unsuitable for use with CPM therapy. Also, as shown in FIGS.2(A) and 2(B), a prior knee wrap design provides additional flexibilityat the knee, but due to its shape, does not provide adequate compressionagainst the knee or the side of the knee.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention is a flexible, articulatedjoint wrap that provides fluid circulation and compression, whileallowing the joint to flex. The wrap may configured, for example, as aseparate heat exchange bladder and cover. The bladder may compriseseparate chambers for fluid circulation and compression. The bladder mayfurther comprise and upper section and a lower section for attaching thewrap above and below a joint. The bladder may have a center sectionhaving an opening that aligns with the outer joint, for example, withthe patella on a knee. This allows the bladder to flex with the movementof the joint. The cover may be configured to conform to the shape of thebladder.

In one embodiment, the cover comprises an outer material of nylon loop,lined with a fluid repellant material, such as urethane. The cover maycomprise an opening on the top and bottom of the cover which align withthe opening in the bladder. Additionally, two tabs having Velcro™ endsare attached to the bottom opening. When assembled, the tabs arepositioned through the bottom opening, through the opening in thebladder, through the top opening and attached via the Velcro™ ends tothe top of the cover.

The bladder and cover may comprise an upper section and lower section,with each section having two wings. Wings on one side of the cover maybe enclosed, with the wings on the opposite side open such that thebladder wings on the open side are exposed to allow attachment viaVelcro™ strips on the ends. The cover may further comprise an openingfor a hose coupling assembly attached to the bladder. In addition, apadded extension on the cover extends from the cover to protect a wearerfrom the hose coupling assembly.

The opening in the bladder may be configured as a vertical slit. Theopening may further comprise a second slit oriented perpendicular to thefirst slit. These slits provide flexibility for movement of the joint,even when the bladder is inflated and applying compressive force to thearea around the joint.

As described herein, a joint wrap configured according to the presentteachings provides a flexible joint wrap, suitable for use with aContinuous Passive Motion device. The outer cover may be disposed ofafter use, allowing the bladder to be reused. The design of the jointwrap provides circumferential compression around the joint area, whilestill allowing for flexible movement of the joint.

In an alternative embodiment, the knee wrap may comprise just thebladder, with complementary Velcro™ type material placed to secureattachment of the bladder to a joint.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be readily understood by the followingdetailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, andin which:

FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) illustrate a prior art knee wrap;

FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) illustrate a prior art knee wrap;

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) illustrate a top view and a bottom view,respectively, according to one embodiment of a bladder of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B) illustrate a top view and a bottom view,respectively, according to one embodiment of a cover of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5(C) illustrates a bottom view of the cover of FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B)with the tabs;

FIGS. 6(A)-6(E) illustrates the steps of placing the bladder of FIG. 4into the cover of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7(A)-7(E) illustrates the attachment of a knee wrap according toone embodiment of the present invention to a wearer's knee and leg; and

FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) illustrate an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention in which a heat exchange bladder is used without a cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modescontemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention. Variousmodifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled inthe art. Any and all such modifications, equivalents and alternativesare intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

An embodiment of a flexible knee wrap 30 according to the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 3. While the present invention is describedherein with respect to a specific embodiment suitable for use as a kneewrap, other configurations may be adapted for use with other joints,such as elbows or shoulders. The present invention is thus not limitedto the specific knee wrap described herein, but is applicable to otherconfigurations as well.

The knee wrap 30 may comprise a separate heat exchange bladder 32 and acover 34. The heat exchange bladder 32 preferably provides both fluidcirculation (i.e. cooling) and compression, and may generally beconstructed as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,872, entitled THERAPYCOMPONENT OF AN ANIMATE BODY HEAT EXCHANGER, the disclosure of which isherein incorporated by reference. A heat exchange bladder of the presentinvention may thus have separate chambers for fluid circulation, and forcompression. The knee wrap 30 is preferably formed in articulatedsections, allowing for flexible movement of the knee, while stillproviding a snug fit on a wearer's knee and leg.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the bladder 32 is generallyconfigured having an upper section 40 and a lower section 42. FIG. 4(A)illustrates a top view, and FIG. 4(B) illustrates a bottom view of thebladder 32. Each of the upper and lower sections 40, 42 includes twowing portions 44, 48 and 46, 50 respectively. The upper wing portions44, 48 wrap around a leg above the knee. Preferably one wing 48 has“hook” type Velcro™ material 52 on the bottom side of an end forattachment. Similarly, the lower section 42 has two wing portions 46,50, which wrap around a wearer's leg at a position below the knee.Preferably, one of the lower wings 50 has hook-type Velcro™ material 54on a bottom side of one end. The lower portion 42 also includes a hosecoupling assembly 56 for attachment to a cooling and compression controlunit (not shown).

To provide for flexible extension of the knee, the bladder 32 isdesigned with a generally elongated slit 58 in the center of a bodyportion 60 of the bladder 32. The slit 58 is also used to attach thecover (as described below). No specific length or shape of the slit 58is required, as long as it provides for flexible movement of the bladder32 when attached to a wearer' knee, while still providing sufficientcoverage to provide adequate cooling and compression. A generallycircular or rectangular opening, or other similar openings, could besatisfactorily utilized as well. In a preferred embodiment, theelongated slit further includes a short perpendicular slit 62 in thecenter to provide for additional flexibility of the bladder 32.

In order to protect the bladder 32, especially from any fluids which maybe present in the location of a post-operative knee, a cover 34 isprovided which is specifically designed to cooperate with the bladder32, while still maintaining flexibility of the knee wrap 30. The coveris further illustrated in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B), wherein FIG. 5(A) is atop view and FIG. 5(B) is a bottom view of the cover 34. As illustratedin these figures, the cover 34 generally conforms to the shape of thebladder 32, and includes upper 70 and lower 72 sections having wingportions 74, 78 and 76, 80, respectively, corresponding to the generalshape of the bladder 32. The wing portions 74, 76 on one side of thebladder are enclosed, whereas the wing portions 78. 80 on the other sideare open at the ends. On the top of the cover 34, there is an opening82, which is used to insert the bladder 32 during assembly (describedbelow).

The bottom of the cover 34 includes a smaller opening 84 generallyaligned with the opening 82 on the top. Attached to each side of theopening 84 on the bottom of the cover are two tabs 86, 88. Asillustrated in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B), the tabs 86, 88 are attached to thesmaller opening 84 on the bottom of the cover, and fold around throughthe larger opening 82 on the top of the cover 34. In a preferredembodiment, the tabs 86, 88 are sewn into each side of the smalleropening 82.

As illustrated in FIG. 5(C), the tabs 86, 88 are shown from the bottomof the cover. Each tab 86, 88 include a hook-type Velcro™ fastener 96,94, respectively, on the ends.

The lower portion of the cover 34 includes a padded extension 90 havingan opening 92 for receiving the hose coupling assembly 56 of the bladder32. The padded portion 90 protects a wearer's leg from any irritationthat may be caused by direct contact with the hose coupling assembly 56during use of the knee wrap 30. The cover may be configured without thepadded portion, if desired.

In a preferred embodiment, the cover 34 is made from a nylon loop knit(such as Velcro™ material), or similar material, laminated with a fluidrepellant backing, such as urethane. In construction, the urethanebacking is placed on the inside of the cover in contact with the bladder32. The urethane backing helps block any fluids from coming in contactwith the bladder 32. By constructing the outer shell of the cover 34from a nylon loop knit, corresponding Velcro™ hook material is easilyattached and removed along any portion of the cover 34, which providesfor easy placement and adjustment on a wearer's knee. However, one couldconfigure the cover out of different material, and provide strips orbands of loop type material only on the opposite wings, if desired.

FIGS. 6(A)-6(E) illustrate the steps required to place the bladder 32inside the cover 34. In FIG. 6(A), the Velcro™ -tipped tabs 86, 88 aredetached from the top of the cover 34 and pushed back through both thelarger opening 82 on the top, and the smaller opening 84 on the bottom.Next, as illustrated in FIG. 6(B), the heat exchange bladder 32 isinserted through the larger opening 82 on the top of the cover. Thebottom of the bladder 32 is placed face down, and the hose couplingassembly 56 is aligned with the padded extension opening 92, as thebladder 32 is inserted into the opening 82. As shown in FIG. 6(C), theVelcro™ -tipped ends 48, 50 of the bladder 32 are pulled through theopen wing ends 78, 80 of the cover 34 (positions 1 and 2 in the figure).The hose coupling assembly 56 is pulled through the opening 92 (position3). The opposite wings 44, 46 are then placed into their correspondingcover wings 74, 76 respectively (positions 4 and 5). Finally, asillustrated in FIG. 6(D), the tabs 86, 88 are pulled through the bottomopening 82, through the slit 58 in the bladder 32, and through thelarger opening 84 on the top of the cover 34. The Velcro™ tips on thetabs 86, 88 are then pressed against the loop material of the cover tosecurely attach the cover 34 and bladder 32 together. The final assemblyis shown again in FIG. 6(E), which corresponds to the view of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 7(A)-7(E) illustrate the attachment of the knee wrap to a user'sleg. As shown in FIG. 7(A), the center slot is placed over a user'spatella, with the knee slightly bent. Preferably, the hose couplingassembly 56 is oriented towards the user's foot to minimize distractionfrom the control unit hoses. However, the knee wrap of the presentinvention may be configured to attach the control unit hoses at a user'sthigh, or other suitable location, as desired.

In FIG. 7(B), the wing portion 50 is wrapped under the user's leg, andis attached to the opposite wing (step 1). Since the entire surface ofthe cover 34 is loop material, the Velcro™ 54 on the wing portion 50 iseasily attached and adjusted for fit and comfort. Similarly, as shown inFIG. 7(C), the upper wing 48 is wrapped under the user's thigh, and theVelcro™ material 52 is attached to the cover 34 (step 2). When properlyaligned, there is an opening formed behind the knee, which allows theknee to flex. Finally, a mating hose assembly is attached to the hosecoupling assembly 56 on the knee wrap 30 (FIG. 7(D)). The attached kneewrap is illustrated in FIG. 7(E).

While the present invention has been described herein with respect to apreferred embodiment having a removable cover, a flexible knee wrap canbe constructed utilizing just the heat exchange bladder. In thisalternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), the bladder 100includes complementary Velcro material on each respective upper wing102, 106 and lower wing 104, 108. FIG. 8(A) shows a top view of thebladder 100 with Velcro™ type material on the wings on one side, andFIG. 8(B) shows a bottom view of the bladder 100 with Velcro™ typematerial on the wings on an opposite side. Thus, the bladder 100 can beattached directly to the joint, without the use of a cover. Moreover,the outer shell of the bladder could be covered with Velcro™ typematerial to facilitate attachment and adjustment.

As previously mentioned, the present invention is particularly usefulfor cooling and compression of the knee when a user is using a CPMdevice to flex the knee. As the CPM machine flexes the knee, the uniquedesign of the present invention provides sufficient flexibility to notinterfere with the intended benefits of the CPM device. The present kneewrap also provides excellent coverage of the knee and surrounding areato insure proper cooling and compression. Specifically, the presentdesign provides greater circumferential compression around the knee areathan is available with the prior art wraps noted above. A wrap designedaccording to the present invention provides greater compression aroundthe leg (or limb) using ‘non-elastic’ construction, thus impartingcompression in toward the limb rather than stretching away from the limb(as does the prior art).

By forming the present knee wrap with a separate heat exchange bladderand cover, the cover can be removed and disposed of after use, allowingthe bladder to be used again by other patients. Also, a two layerconstruction provides better wear, and is more comfortable to a user.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations andmodifications of the just-described preferred embodiments can beconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced other than as specificallydescribed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flexible joint wrap comprising: a heat exchangebladder comprising: an upper bladder section having two wings; a lowerbladder section having two wings; and a center body bladder sectionhaving a first opening.
 2. The joint wrap of claim 1, further comprisinga cover formed to enclose the bladder, wherein the cover conforms to ashape of the bladder, the cover comprising: an upper cover sectionhaving two wings; a lower cover section having two wings; and a centerbody cover section between the upper and lower cover sections having afirst opening on a top of the cover, and a second opening on a bottom ofthe cover; a first tab and a second tab connected to the second openingon the bottom of the cover; and a hose coupling assembly opening.
 3. Thejoint wrap of claim 2, wherein one upper wing on the upper cover sectionis enclosed, and the other upper wing has an opening for a bladder wing;and one lower wing on the lower cover section is enclosed, and the otherlower wing has an opening for a bladder wing.
 4. The joint wrap of claim3, wherein the cover comprises an outer material of nylon loop, and aurethane inner lining.
 5. The joint wrap of claim 4, wherein one wing onthe upper bladder section has a Velcro™ material on an end, and one wingon the lower bladder section has a Velcro™ material on an end, such thatthe Velcro™ ends extend past corresponding openings in the cover wings.6. The joint wrap of claim 5, wherein the cover further comprises apadded hose coupling assembly extension.
 7. The joint wrap of claim 5,wherein the first and second tabs have Velcro™ material on an end. 8.The joint wrap of claim 2, wherein the first opening in the center bodybladder section is a first slit from the upper bladder section to thelower bladder section.
 9. The joint wrap of claim 8, wherein the firstopening in the center body bladder section further comprises a secondslit oriented perpendicular to the first slit.
 10. The joint wrap ofclaim 2, wherein the bladder comprises separate chambers for cooling andcompression.
 11. The joint wrap of claim 7, wherein the first and secondtabs are positioned through the bottom opening in the cover, through thefirst opening in the bladder, and through the opening on the top of thecover, such that the Velcro™ ends on the tabs are attached against theloop material of the cover to securely attach the cover and bladdertogether.
 12. The joint wrap of claim 3, wherein the cover comprises aninner fluid repellant material, and Velcro™ type loop material on atleast a portion of the outer enclosed cover wings.
 13. A flexible jointwrap, the flexible joint wrap comprising: a heat exchange bladdercomprising: an upper bladder section having a first upper bladder wingand a second upper bladder wing; a lower bladder section having a firstlower bladder wing and a second lower bladder wing; a center bodybladder section between the upper and lower bladder sections; and a hosecoupling assembly attached to the bladder; and a cover shaped to conformto a shape of the bladder comprising: an upper cover section having afirst upper cover wing and a second upper cover wing; a lower coversection having a first lower cover wing and a second lower cover wing; acenter body cover section between the upper and lower cover sections;and a hose coupling assembly opening; wherein when the bladder is in thecover, the first and second upper and lower bladder wings of the bladderalign with the first and second upper and lower cover wings of thecover, and the hose coupling assembly of the bladder aligns with thehose coupling assembly opening of the cover.
 14. The joint wrap of claim13, wherein one upper wing on the upper cover section is enclosed, andthe other upper wing has an opening for a bladder wing; and one lowerwing on the lower cover section is enclosed, and the other lower winghas an opening for a bladder wing.
 15. The joint wrap of claim 14,wherein the cover comprises an inner fluid repellant material, andVelcro™ type loop material on at least a portion of the outer enclosedcover wings.
 16. The joint wrap of claim 14, wherein the cover comprisesan outer material of nylon loop, and a urethane inner lining.
 17. Thejoint wrap of claim 16, wherein one wing on the upper bladder sectionhas a Velcro™ material on an end, and one wing on the lower bladdersection has a Velcro™ material on an end, such that the Velcro™ endsextend past corresponding openings in the cover wings.
 18. The jointwrap of claim 17, wherein the cover further comprises a padded hosecoupling assembly extension.
 19. The joint wrap of claim 18, wherein thefirst and second tabs have Velcro™ material on an end.